Abuja - The daughter of immediate past president of Nigeria and a sitting senator, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has been officially charged alongside two former Ministers of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange and her Minister of State, Gabriel Aduku, with a 56-count charge of corruption and public embezzlement of federal fund by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

While the two former ministers who both recently resigned from the Yar’Adua cabinet on allegation of fraud and corruption, stood in the dock for four and half hours, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court along nine other co-accused, Senator Obasanjo-Bello was no where to be found as the 56-count charge were read against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello was however declared missing “at large” by the EFCC but will still face the 56th charge which read “That you, Iyabo Bello (now at large) sometimes between December 2007 and March 2008 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the high court of the Federal Capital Territory while serving as the chairperson, Senate Committee on Health in the National Assembly, dishonestly retained the sum of N10, 000,000 belonging to Federal Government of Nigeria, having reason to believe same to be stolen property thereby committed an offence punishable under section 317 of the Penal Code cap 352, Law of Federation of Nigeria (Abuja)1990″.

The senator who is the current chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, therefore stand incriminated in the mega corruption charge against the Health ministry officials.

The prosecutor, James Binang said as far as the anti-graft agency was concerned, Iyabo was on the run and all legal machinery would be used to bring her to justice. Others charged with the ex-ministers were; Prof. Samuel Ogandi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Oyedepo H.B, Hanafi Moham-med, Donald Ekanem, Donatus Inyang, Olomo J.A, Obanla Emmanuel Olatunbosun, Henry Onyeagwalam and Edem Augustine Bassey.

The accused were brought to court around 12pm and they all pleaded not guilty to the 56-count charge preferred against them by the Federal Government. The charge reads thus:

That you (1) Professor Adenike Grange, (2) Gabriel Aduku, (3) Professor Samuel Ogandi, (4) Oyedepo H.B, and (5) Hanafi Mohammed, sometimes in December 2007 in Abuja, within the Abuja division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, while being public servants in the Federal Ministry of Health, with intent to defraud, conspired among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit: criminalbreach of trust by public servant; thereby committed an offence punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990.

Various sums of money were said to have been paid into Professor Grange’s Oceanic Account NO 1301005284. Looking depressed in the dock, the former Minister shook her head intermittently as the charge was read out to her while others bowed their heads continually.
While Grange had her name mentioned in 13 counts on the charge sheet, Aduku was fingered in about 13 counts, while Obasanjo-Bello had two counts hanging on her.

Immediately after the charge was read to the accused persons, they all pleaded not guilty and their lawyers individually moved application for bail. Counsel to Grange, Alex Izinyon (SAN), argued that his client should be granted bail on self-recognitionwhile Aduku said as an international figure having made his mark in architecture, he was ready to stand trial and would not jump bail.

The trial Judge, Justice Salisu Garba, fixed Friday for ruling in the bail application.

The two ex-ministers and other accused persons were said to have shared a balance of N300 million remaining from last year’s budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Health. President Umaru Yar’Adua had directed ministers and head of parastatals to return all unspent funds from last year’s budget to the federal purse. The ex-ministers had been forced to resign from the cabinet following the allegations against them.

In the meantime, the senate had asked Senator Obasanjo-Bello to explain the circumstances surrounding the involvement of the committee on heath which she headed in the sharing of the N300 million unspent vote of the ministry of Health in the 2007 budget. The Senate Committee had admitted receiving N10 million-support from the Ministry of Health to fund a retreat in Ghana on the National Health Bill. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Information, Senator Ayogu Eze confirmed yesterday that the Senate had demanded explanation from Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and other members of the Committee that attended the Ghana retreat.

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